Processing is now the Main Event

 

      In the world of digital photography, things are changing faster than most of us can handle. Every week it's the announcement of a new camera or new lens that seems capable of improving upon what we already have in our camera bags. Each new piece of gear seems to bring improved opportunities for making our photos better than before, as the sensors and the glass improve to bring us even closer to capturing the reality that we long to show in our photographs.

      While so many of us are focused on improving our images through purchasing better gear, older and wiser men and women are changing their focus to processing software, where the most important changes are taking place. Just as the equipment is radically improving at a record pace, so is the software that takes our images to the next level. We now can make gigantic leaps in bringing our images to a level that truly represents our vision as a photographer. Today's software can allow us to use older, less sophisticated cameras to make stunning images that match or even surpass many of today's latest cameras and lens. Professional level processing software can mean the difference between an image that gets trashed, and an image that becomes a prize winner.

      Every digital photographer needs to spend as much time learning how to use processing software as they do learning the in and outs of their gear. For me......the processing software is just as important as the gear I am using to capture my images. As a professional photographer, I spend far more time processing  my images than I do in the field taking the shots. This aspect is so important today, that many of the top photographers hire experts to handle this end of the business for them. I think many of you would be shocked to see the list of top photographers who send out their processing and printing to outside sources........it's that important.

      So.......where am I going with all of this? First, stop shooting jpegs and start shooting in Raw. These files contain far more data than your jpeg files. By shooting jpegs, you are allowing your camera to do your processing. Cameras vary greatly in their ability to process these images. Even the best cannot match what a Raw file can produce. By shooting Raw you are in charge of how your image is to be seen. That's IMPORTANT.  You are the photographer, and you need to control your images from start to finish.  It's that simple and that important to the overall process.

 

 

This image was processed using Adobe Lightroom, which is my personal favorite program. The image was shot in Raw with a Canon 5D 2, 24 - 105 L series lens, polarizing filter, with tripod. As you can see, unless you are processing your digital images, you are missing out on much of the data that is in your digital files.